Naruto's Ultimate Challenge: A Bully
by SuperLionKing
Summary: Naruto is in school at the Academy... with an enemy... This enemy had only messed with his friends until now... but now, it's Naruto's turn to take the hit. Maybe some mild cursing in the future...
1. The Nightmare

This is my first story… let's keep this friendly, please.

Basically, this is a story about Naruto in school with a bully. Also, Minato and Kushina didn't die. So, this may be really boring, or, it could turn out really good. Based on what you guys, the readers, say, I might keep going or not… (PS. Jutsu still exist in this world.)

Who knows? I might decide to turn this into a series…

Chapter One—Nightmare

Naruto woke in the darkness, sweating dream had been so vivid, so clear.

He was still in his bedroom, the curtains drawn closed and darkness surrounding him… but that was the _last_ thing he wanted right now…

Hurriedly, Naruto got out of bed and turned on the light, just to be sure… He was alone, just as he'd expected, but with all that Ninjutsu and Genjutsu and even Taijutsu that existed, Naruto couldn't have been sure.

Slowly, his breathing stabilized, and he walked out of the room and down the hallway. He stopped by the bathroom, just to take a look at himself. He still had spike blond hair and his mother's blue eyes… At least that hadn't changed. And he still wore those silk blue pajamas that Kushina had made him when he'd outgrown his other ones. Thank goodness that the world was still turning…

"Naruto," said a voice by the door. "You should be asleep."

It was Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Naruto's father. He was dressed in his nightclothes (a white t-shirt and blue boxers), standing by the door, scratching his head. Naruto swallowed hard, trying to look brave.

"It's okay," Naruto lied. "I'm perfectly fine…"

For a second, Naruto wondered if his voice faltered, because Minato frowned. However, Minato just moved out of the doorway.

"Then please, get out," Minato said. "I've got to…"

"Okay," Naruto said, hurrying out. He heard the door close behind Minato, and yet, Naruto stood where he was, somewhat nervous to go back to his room alone. He tiptoed down the hallway, looking around him nervously. He heard a door open and Naruto wheeled around, holding his hands out in a hand-sign. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Three shadow clones appeared in a puff of white smoke.

"What's wrong with you?" Minato asked lazily, seeing his son's clones. "Are you okay, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded and made another sign. The clones vanished and Naruto turned back around, faking a yawn. Right now, he was anything but sleepy, but hopefully, Minato wouldn't pick up on it. He walked away, giving a loud, fake yawn. Once back in his room, Naruto moved to his bed, throwing himself down on the mattress. Pretty soon, he'd have to go back to the Academy… and tomorrow was his turn to get tortured…

It always happened in a cycle. First Kiba, then Choji… now it was Naruto's turn.

There was a knock on the door, and, without waiting for Naruto's approval, Minato appeared in a flash of yellow, attributing to his nickname as "The Yellow Flash of Konoha".

"Are you sure you're fine, Naruto?" Minato asked.

"I'm fine, Dad," Naruto said miserably. Minato frowned, but said nothing else as he vanished again. Naruto sighed… Perhaps he'd speak to Minato in the morning…

* * *

The next morning was silent... much to Minato's and Kushina's dismay. Ordinarily, Naruto would've been excited to be going to school, but today, he looked positively miserable. He hadn't touched his breakfast, and Kushina spoke to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked sweetly. He gave her a smile, but it looked so obviously strained that Kushina frowned. "What's wrong, Naruto? You know you can talk to us about it. Right, Minato?" Minato said nothing, but looked up sheepishly, mouth stuffed with food. Kushina gave him an angry looked and he tried to return it with a grin, but he quickly thought better of it. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

"Can Dad walk me to school today?"

The question was a first; Naruto normally walked to school with his friend, Kiba.

"Why?"

"Just because... I think it'd be fun." Another lie. Naruto frowned; now he was lying to his mother.

"Yondaime has responsibilities," Kushina said, giggling. "You can walk to school by yours-"

"No!" Naruto shouted. Kushina looked amazed by his response. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

"You make me late," Minato said, "but, I don't care." He took another bite, stood, and stretched. "I'm ready to go when you are."

* * *

So, how does it look?

My brother read over it and said it needs _another_ chapter. I don't know... I've got another idea, but I don't know if I want to.


	2. Walking to School With Daddy

Yeah... I'm trying... This is my idea for chapter two, so tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading...

Chapter Two-Walking to School with Daddy

Naruto kept close to Minato. _I look pitiful_, Naruto thought. _I'm twelve years old and still holding onto Daddy! Could this be any worse? At least I haven't been seen yet..._

He spoke too soon.

"NARUTO!"

The shout came from behind them. Naruto turned around and grinned at the sight of his friend, Kiba Inuzuka and his dog, Akamaru. Kiba walked up and took one look at Minato before giving a nervous bow. Akamaru barked loudly and Minato reached over to pet the small dog sitting on his master's head. Kiba stood back up and looked at Naruto. He stayed quiet, but Naruto could guess at his thoughts just by the look on his face.

"I haven't said anything," he whispered Kiba. "Dad doesn't know."

Kiba nodded. "It's great to meet you, Lord Hokage."

"Thanks, but I hate that formality," Minato said. "Just call me 'Minato'."

They walked together, and Minato couldn't help but shake the feeling that Naruto and Kiba were nervous. About what? What could they be nervous about? Did they have a test they hadn't studied for? Perhaps Naruto's jutsu needed better work.

The Academy came closer and Naruto thought of something: being seen with the Yondaime Hokage was normally a good thing. Being seen walking to school with _Daddy_ might not.

"Dad, I can walk from here. Wouldn't want you to be late!"

"Yeah, sir," Kiba said. "We'll be fine from here."

"What're you too hiding?" Minato demanded. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! What makes you think something's wrong!"

"The way you're acting," Minato said. He frowned at them, and longed to pursue the issue, but he doubted Naruto would say anything. Naruto was as stubborn as he was.

The Academy was in sight now. Lots of in-training ninja were entering now with Iruka Umino standing outside, looking at them all with a smile.

"UZUMAKI!" shouted a jeering voice.

Naruto didn't look; Kiba did look. The voice could've only belonged to Sasuke Uchiha, the cutest ninja in training at the Academy. If not for Minato's presence, Sasuke would've called Naruto something else. That was certain. As usual, Sasuke was with his 'friend', Shikamaru Nara.

"Hey, Uchiha," Naruto said uncertainly as Sasuke passed.

Sasuke took a look at Minato, but said nothign more as he passed. As usual, several girls squealed at the sight of Sasuke Uchiha, the world's cutest ninja-in-training.

"Well, see you later," Minato said. "Be good."

* * *

"So, Naruto... Are you scared to walk alone?" Sasuke taunted from the back of the class. From his seat, Naruto looked back up at him, frowning. "What's wrong? _Daddy's little baby couldn't be alone?_"

Naruto looked away, but he couldn't ignore Sasuke's taunting. Kiba, from next to Naruto, looked at him understandingly, but Naruto wasn't aware of him. He shivered at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"Sasuke, why are you picking on that no-talent loser?" Shikamaru asked, sitting by Sasuke's side. "He's a nobody."

Sasuke said nothing in response, but just glared down at Naruto. His eyes flashed red for a second, and Naruto recognized the Sharingan in his eyes; he'd seen it used before. However, soon, the Sharingan vanished and Iruka-sensei walked in.

"Alright, class," he said. "Let's begin."


	3. Gym Class

Yeah... I'm trying... This is my idea for chapter three, so tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading...

Chapter Three-Gym Class

Iruka's eyes surveyed his class before he began teaching. He saw Naruto in the back, nervously glancing down at Sasuke… Why, though?

Naruto caught Iruka's glance and grinned. It was a simple grin, but enough to satiate sensei.

"Alright, kiddies," Iruka said. "We're going to get started. Today, we're going to begin the day with something simple: gym class."

"What're we going to do?" asked Lee, excitement ringing in Lee's voice.

_Bushy-Brows just can't calm down_, Naruto thought, rolling his eyes.

"Just a simple jog," Iruka answered. "We're not doing anything too much because we've got a lot of studying to do on Genjutsu. And yes," he said quickly, noting a student's hand, "it is important, even if you can't use Genjutsu."

They went to the locker rooms, and Naruto made sure that Sasuke was gone before he changed. Purposely, Sasuke punched Naruto's arm, sniggering as he left with Shikamaru. Naruto wanted to fight back, but something about that seemed impossible. Perhaps it was just because Naruto knew that Sasuke was somewhat stronger than himself.

They jogged along the school track, Naruto keeping as far away from Sasuke and Shikamaru as possible. Yet Sasuke was moving at an almost impossible speed. He was fast, though not as fast as Lee was. Lee led the pack, showing no signs of fatigue or tiredness. Neji and Sasuke were right behind Lee. Tenten, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata were behind them, no doubt gossiping. Then, there was Shino, his face covered, moving at a decent pace. Shikamaru was behind Shino... Then it came to Naruto and Kiba, with Choji right behind them.

"What're you going to do about Sasuke?" Choji questioned.

"I don't know," Naruto answered. "What'd he do to you?"

"Teased me with my favorite food," Choji moaned.

"My favorite food's ramen... That'd be hard to tease me about, especially since you can't just drag ramen through the Academy," Naruto said. "What'd he do to you, Kiba?"

"Stole Akamaru," Kiba answered, growling. Naruto remembered that day. They'd been training in mock battles, and Kiba had been paired with Sasuke. Sasuke had used some of that Sharingan Genjutsu on Akamaru and turned Akamaru against Kiba. Kiba didn't get Akamaru back for another two days.

"But I don't have anything worth taking, other than my parents," Naruto said. Someone ran past them. Sasuke had taken the lead and pushed Naruto and Kiba aside while tripping up Choji. Grinning in an evil way, Sasuke ran off. Naruto scrambled to his feet. "Other than tripping me, I don't know what Sasuke could do to me. There's really nothing to embarrass me about..."

* * *

Naruto was the last one in the locker room, which was normally how things went. He entered slowly, but then, he just couldn't move. He looked downward. Something was connecting to his shadow... another shadow! Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu! Standing in front of him, Shikamaru chuckled mischieviously.

"HEY!" Naruto said. "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!"

Then, he saw something shiny and sharp fly past him. Two shuriken sliced the waistband of his shorts. His shorts fell to the floor, leaving Naruto standing there in his underwear.

"I knew he was too immature to be a ninja," Sasuke chuckled.

Naruto looked down. He'd picked the wrong day... He was wearing some old briefs he'd found in the bottom of his dresser. It was a pair of Hokage briefs, with the Hokage stitched into the fabric. They really looked like something a little kid would wear.

Naruto tried to think of a response but nothing came. Shikamaru's shadow retracted and Naruto picked up his shorts. With the waist of the shorts ruined, he held them up until he could get back to his signature jumpsuit.

Could today get worse?

What else could Sasuke use against him?

* * *

Yeah... This was sort of a memory for me when something like this happened in middle school. Anyway, R&R if you please. And thanks for all the great reviews.


	4. Fear at the Store

This is my foruth chapter of my first fanfic. By the way, I've noticed that most aut_hors put disclaimers on their stories, so this is mine. MASASHI KISHIMOTO OWNS NARUTO AND THE CHARACTRES OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MANGA/ANIME!_

Chapter Four-Keeping A Secret

Letting Minato know was out of the question. Naruto walked, his mind buzzing with Kiba and Choji by his side. Chubby Choji looked almost as miserable as Naruto and Kiba's worry was quite obvious. Naruto was unusually silent today and now, the Hokage's mansion was in view.

"See ya later," Naruto said sadly.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Kiba asked. "I mean, what if Lord Hokage-"

"NO! I don't want Dad to know..."

"Know what?" asked an interested voice.

Minato appeared in a flash of bright golden light, looking down at his strange son with a strange stare. Naruto turned and gave a chuckle, hoping it was convincing enough. "It's nothing... Just a little practical joke! I'm not in any real trouble, but it's just something that Iruka-sensei didn't enjoy. Right, guys?"

"Oh... Yeah!" Choji agreed. "Sorry, Lord Hokage, but I've got to go home." And he and Kiba were gone.

The torture continued for the remainder of the week and finally, the weekend came. Desperate to get away from Sasuke and the new nickname (Tighty-Whitie), Naruto rushed home, not bothering to wait for Kiba or Choji today. Instead, Rock Lee, who normally left early to train, joined him. Bushy-Brows wasn't the worst person to walk home with, but he was certainly the loudest. Not once did he stop trying to encourage Naruto or brag about a new taijutsu technique he was learning. Finally, Guy-sensei called Lee over and they vanished in a whirl of leaves.

Kushina was home early. Ordinarily, he'd be out until Minato came home, but today, she'd come home early. She didn't look very happy and Naruto gave a quick greeting before dashing to his bedroom. There was a knock on the door before she entered and Naruto quickly fixed his face before he opened the door.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Kushina asked.

"Fine," Naruto said. One-word answers weren't normally something Naruto did. Kushina took notice, but said nothing.

"I'm going to the store," she told him. "I think it's time you got some new clothes. Do you want to come with me?"

Naruto thought carefully. "No. I don't mind the clothes you buy, but could you do me a favor? I've outgrown the underwear I have now, so can you go buy me some boxers? _Plain_ boxers?"

"Yeah, but don't you wear briefs?"

"I want to try something new."

"Then you're coming with me. You're not just going to make demands."

* * *

Rengaku's Clothing Line was busy today, but Naruto saw no one he was nervous about. Until he saw four Uchiha enter. He recognized Sasuke immediately and then, he noticed his brother Itachi and his father, Fugaku. Fugaku, being the head of the police force, worked closely with Minato.

Kushina told him to go and pick out clothes while she perused the ladies' section. Naruto looked, but just barely; he was too busy watching out for Sasuke, who'd come over to the section. Naruto hid behind the shelf that had the underwear, watching Sasuke around the corner.

"Dobe, I can see you!" Sasuke called.

Naruto, an uneasy grin on his face, stepped out.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked. "Why do you look so scared? Am I really that intimidating?"

"N-no!"

"Sasuke!" Itachi called. "Quit playing around. You're supposed to be looking for-"

"Okay!" Sasuke called back, his face bright red. "I'll get some."

Sasuke walked over to the shelf and picked up a package.

"I thought really ninja didn't wear tighty-whities," Naruto noted, seeing Sasuke pick up the pack of briefs.

"Shut up," Sasuke said. "They aren't for me."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Perhaps. Listen, I wear boxers and, occasionally, boxer-briefs. Never that tighty-whitie stuff."

"So... why're you buying that?"

Sasuke looked away, then turned his gaze on Naruto. The Sharingan was in his eyes, and Naruto took a deep breath. He might not have been the best yet, but he'd fight if he was challenged.

"Just leave me alone, Naruto."

And he walked away. Naruto sighed and grabbed a pack of boxers before going back to meet his mother. The walk home was silent; Naruto's mind was on something else.

Sasuke hadn't called him Dobe or Loser or Tighty-Whitie when he left.

It had actually happened. He'd called him by his name.

* * *

"Who was that?" Itachi asked. Sasuke looked up at his brother, the bag in his hand.

"It was no one."

"Or was he your friend?"

"He's not my friend."

"Really?"

"Can I tell you something? A secret?"

Fugaku and Mikoto had looked back, overhearing the conversation, but they hurried on ahead while the two brothers stopped.

"I'm scared of him," Sasuke said when his parents were out of earshot. "He just scares me..."


	5. Secrets

Chapter Five-Secrets

Sasuke looked up at Itachi, who said nothing, but his face spoke volumes. Sasuke Uchiha, scared? It was almost like a joke. But the seriousness on his little brother's face said otherwise.

"Naruto Uzumaki? He scares you? Why?"

"I don't exactly know," Sasuke said. "There's just something about him that makes me nervous. Whenever I look at him, I think he's going to kill me with some amazing jutsu that I only wish I could do. So, I try my best to scare him so that he's too scared to attack me!"

"Why would he attack you?"

"It's hard to explain."

"No, it's not," Itachi said. "It's something that you said to him before, isn't it? Or something that you did... Sasuke, whatever it is, you need to talk with him to get over it." Itachi resumed walking, but Sasuke stood there, digesting his brother's advice. Talk to him? What if...

That's just it. Sasuke was always thinking about "what if". What if Sasuke and Naruto could actually be... not friends, but friendly to each other? What if Naruto didn't hate Sasuke? Sasuke caught up with his family, thinking about the best way to speak with Naruto. He'd talk with him tomorrow. _After_ school.

* * *

Naruto ate dinner silently, thinking of Sasuke. Then, without saying much, he excused himself from the table and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

There was a knot in his stomach. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this secret. Sasuke was becoming more than just a simple problem. He was beginning to become the main problem that Naruto faced. Those eyes, that Sharingan, always shook Naruto to the core and, what's more, Sasuke wasn't even trying that hard. And tomorrow, at the academy, they'd be having sparring matches. It'd be good luck if Naruto wasn't paired with Sasuke (or any members of his gang), but luck hardly ever seemed to be on his side. He'd eased his way through everything, pulling a win out of his hat at the last moment.

And even if he got lucky with the sparring, he'd have to deal with Sasuke after school and during lunch and...

There was a knock on the door.

"It's open."

Minato walked in. "Your mother wants me to check on you. She says you've been acting differently recently. Is there any particular reason why? Or is this just a practical joke and I can go back to my dinner?"

"Actually..." Naruto stopped himself, unsure of how to continue or whether to continue at all.

Minato raised an eyebrow, closing the door behind him. "Naruto, is something wrong?"

"Did you ever have a secret that you kept from your parents?"

"Plenty," Minato said. Then, his eyes narrowed. "What're you keeping from us?"

"If there was someone who didn't like you, but you wanted to be their friend, what would you do?"

Minato chuckled, thinking, _He's got a crush on some girl._ Minato sat on the bed next to his son, tousling his hair.

"Well, the first thing you do is figure out why they don't like you," Minato said. "If you get past that, you slowly work your magic until they come around. From there on, it's smooth sailing, so long as you don't say anything stupid, foolish or embarrassing."

_"MINATO NAMIKAZE, GET IN HERE NOW!"_ Kushina called from the kitchen.

"And now, I'm running into hell..." Minato muttered. "Good luck."

Naruto nodded and ignored the shouting from his parents. Minato had some idea, but Naruto managed to keep his secret.

But how much longer could he keep it? At least he'd done one thing today.

He made sure he couldn't be teased about his underwear anymore.


	6. Unexpected Guardian

_c_hapter Six-Unexpected Guardian

The day started off like any other, with Naruto doing his best to avoid any kind of interaction with Sasuke. Iruka-sensei introduced them to new kinds of techniques and ways to reverse weak genjutsu. Yet Naruto wasn't focused on Iruka's lesson; he was too worried about Sasuke and his gang. Then, Iruka announced the beginning of sparring matches. He paired them off, starting in the middle and working his way out. And, just as Naruto had feared, Sasuke became his opponent.

Naruto struck first, using the shadow clones to try to confuse Sasuke's eyes. But it didn't work; Sasuke's fireball jutsu dispelled the clones, leaving Naruto to face him alone. Their eyes met and Naruto knew that the rest of the class had slowed down, watching the show. He could hear them betting against him.

"Sasuke's faster."

"He's stronger."

"He's _cuter_."

Yet Naruto wasn't done yet. He had an ace in the hole, something he'd never shown anyone yet. He made a sign and the shadow clone appeared next to him. The shadow clone moved his hands around Naruto's, compressing the chakra into the shape of a spiralling sphere.

But Sasuke, unlike the rest of the class, was undisturbed. He held his hand up and suddenly, lightning surround his hand, in a technique Naruto had seen him use before: Chidori.

They moved forward, slowly at first. Then, they slowly gained speed, until they were running, running, and the distance between them lessened.

Their jutsu clashed...

* * *

Naruto's face, still bandaged from the clash with Sasuke, drew much attention, just as Sasuke's face, also bandaged, made the girls swoon over him ("It's nothing that Sasuke can't handle," they said). It was lunchtime, and Naruto heard a jeering voice that didn't belong to Sasuke.

"Is your Daddy going to be joining you for lunch today?" Shikamaru Nara asked. There was a snide grin on his face.

"Not even his dad would want him here," Neji added, his voice bored ashe gazed around the room. Those eyes, that Byakugan, wasn't nearly as scary as the Sharingan, but Naruto did his best to avoid looking at it.

They shared a laugh as they walked away, then another voice cut through the room.

"Neji! Shikamaru! Leave him alone."

That voice was Sasuke. Sasuke entered, his face curled into a frown as he approached. Naruto shivered slightly. He'd seen this trick before. Now, Sasuke was going to take over the teasing and torture himself. But what he did next surprised him.

"Are you still here? Get going," Sasuke said. "He's not our target anymore."

The cafeteria was confused, but Sasuke was adamant. They soon walked away and went to their own lunches.

"What kind of game are you playing at?" Naruto questioned. "I'm not falling for it!"

"I'm not playing a game," Sasuke answered. "Actually, I'm trying to be nice, Tighty Whitie."

"I wear boxers."

"Now."

"What's your point?"

"I want you to meet me after school. Otherwise, tomorrow, I'll restart the torment. After school. Alone."

He walked off and Kiba and Choji came over.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked.

Naruto told him.

"Are you going?" Choji questioned.

"Should I?"

"Probably."

"Will you go with me...? At least, not where Sasuke can see you?"

"Don't be scared," Kiba said, wrapping his arm around his friend like a longlost brother. "We'll be close by, just in case."

Naruto grinned. Kiba just had a way of relaxing the tension in a situation.


	7. A Secret Meeting

_C_hapter Seven-A Meeting in Secret

Meeting Sasuke was a bad idea and Naruto immediately felt regret when he did it. Sasuke was waiting for him, as if expecting to fight. Naruto knew that, with Sasuke's Sharingan and speed, he might not walk away from it.

Yet, one glance around him and he knew that Kiba and Choji were close by. If anything went wrong, they'd be there to lend a hand. Now, all that remained was to see what Sasuke wanted. Better to get it over with than to drag it out.

"Dobe. I was beginning to wonder if you'd actually show," Sasuke said.

"You... wanted to meet me," Naruto said. "Any particular reason why?"

"I'll make you a deal... but first..."

In a blur of motion, Sasuke threw out two senbon needles in two opposite directions. Kiba and Choji fell from their hiding spots, the needles sticking out of their shoulders. Sasuke regarded them with emotionlessness.

"I thought I told you to come alone, Uzumaki. Why are they here? Are you too scared to even speak to me on your own?"

"I don't need them."

"Then why are they here?"

"Because we're Naruto's friends!" Kiba shouted.

"I wasn't speaking to you," Sasuke said. A shuriken was in his hand now, ready to throw at a moment's notice. His eyes suddenly transformed. They became bright red with black coma-shaped tomoe in them. Suddenly, the ground seemed to split. Kiba and Choji were being sent away on a floating piece of rock, while Naruto and Sasuke stood on a single floating piece of rock.

"What'd you do!" Naruto demanded.

"Genjutsu... I told you; I want to speak to you _alone_. How much do you hate me?"

Naruto shivered. There was a strange tone in Sasuke's voice now. No, it wasn't Sasuke's voice; it was another voice entirely, speaking at the same time Sasuke was speaking. "I... don't know."

"Are you scared of me?"

"No!"

"Really?"

"Really! There's no reason to be scared of you!"

"Even with my Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu?"

"Yeah..." It was a halfhearted response.

Suddenly, the environment changed again. The ground repaired itself and they were back behind the Academy. Kiba and Chij were standing close by and Sasuke turned his back to all three of them.

"I'm impressed, Uzumaki." Sasuke's voice had returned to normal. "Perhaps there's more to you than meets the eye."

The wind suddenly picked up and, in a puff of smoke, Sasuke disappeared. Naruto exchanged looks with Choji and Kiba.

What had just happened?


	8. Breaking the Habit

_C_hapter Eight-Breaking a Habit

Naruto barely ate that night, thinking hard about the meeting he'd had with Sasuke, the impressive Jutsu that Sasuke had showed him, just to speak with him alone. Why? Just what was it for?

"Are you okay?" Minato asked.

"I'm fine," Naruto replied tersely, still too deep in thought to register the tone of his voice. Apparently, Minato and Kushina weren't too deep in thought to notice. Kushina set her chopsticks down and tapped the table twice to get Naruto's attention. Naruto's head whipped around and, to his surprise, she was frowning.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm just fine," Naruto said in a much lighter, more respectful tone. She continued to frown at him, but said nothing more. Naruto politefully excused himself from the table and went to his bedroom to think.

_Just what're you thinking, Sasuke? Do you hate me or not?_

* * *

"How do you plan to meet the clan's expectations if you're not going to eat?" Fugaku demanded, looking at the untouched plate that was before Sasuke. Sasuke shrugged, pushing it away slightly.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered. "Besides, I've got a few more Jutsu to practice, Father. Couldn't I just-"

"You need to eat," Itachi told him, using a much kinder tone that Fugaku's rough, almost angry, drawl. "At least take one bit, Sasuke."

Sasuke hesitantly took the bite, a small one, of the okonomiyaki before stopping. He swallowed and stood, apologizing to his father, before going back to his bedroom. He laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with a satisfied grin. With Naruto so confused, it might be the perfect time to put the next phase of his plan into motion. A ninja must see through deception-that's something that he never forgot-and, obviously, Naruto still couldn't see through the most obvious deception.

There was a knock on the door and Itachi entered.

"I know your secret," he said simply.

"What secrets?"

"Firstly, you need to learn how to value your classmates. You'll never know which one will save your life in the future. Secondly, if you're hoping to use that Uzumaki boy in some kind of scheme, I suggest you think again. The kid's smarter than you think."

"Naruto's a moron."

"Maybe... but that moron might just be smarter than you."

Before Sasuke could even make a retort, Itachi closed the door, leaving Sasuke to his own thoughts. What did he mean: _that moron might just be smarter than you_. No way. There's no way that kid could match the intellegence of an Uchiha... Could he?

There was no point in bullying Naruto anymore.

Time to break the habit.

But still... now that he'd gotten Naruto's attention, he just needed a way to make Naruto his friend.

* * *

_"Uzumaki!"_

Sasuke's shout echoed loudly, emanating from the front of the Academy. Naruto hesitated for a second, but confidence began to well up inside of him. Kiba and Choji waited alongside him as Sasuke approached.

"Go, I'll catch up," Naruto said.

"But"

"Just go," Naruto repeated. "This won't take long."

"Won't take long for him to kill you, that's for sure," Kiba muttered. But he and Choji went on ahead. Sasuke approached Naruto, wrapping an arm around him as if they had been best friends for years. Naruto shook his arm away, frowning.

"What d'you want?"

"Just to talk. Got some spare time?"

"Sure."

"The Genin Exam's coming up soon. I need you to help me."


	9. Planning and Scheming

Chapter Nine-Planning and Thinking Mixed with Indecision

"The Genin Exam?" Naruto echoed, eyebrow raised in curiosity. Actually, he _had_ forgotten about it; most of his time recently had been spent trying to avoid Sasuke.

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "About it... Are _you_ ready for it, Tighty-Whitie?"

Naruto snarled. He lowered the waistband of his pants slightly, flashing his orange and blue plaid boxers. "See? I wear boxers now!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Pull up your pants, dobe. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Naruto scowled, pulling is waistband back up. "With the Genin Exam right around the corner, I was thinking that you could help me help you."

"How so?"

"How good is your jutsu? Are you prepared to become a shinobi, Uzumaki?"

"Don't doubt me, Uchiha! I'll graduate from the academy and become the next Hokage! Just like my dad!"

Sasuke gave a small, intimidating chuckle. "And what happens if you fail? Failures don't become Hokage." Naruto was about to reply, but Sasuke could tell by the look on his face that he now had Naruto's full, undivided attention. "So, are you completely positive that you're ready? Do you even know what the exam covers? I have an inside source."

"What source?"

"My brother, Itachi. He gets to help _make_ the exam."

"So, what's it about?"

"Promise to help me train from now on and I'll tell you everything you want to know." The academy bell rang loudly, filling the air and breaking into their conversation. "Let me know what you want to do tomorrow, Naruto. I'll be waiting at the training grounds."

* * *

Naruto paused for a brief moment, not remembering that he had yet to pull on his gym clothes and was now standing there in his boxers. The sight and sound of Kiba and Choji brought him back to his senses and he gasped when he felt Kiba's cold hand on his shoulder.

"New undies, Naruto?" Kiba chortled jokingly, snapping the waistband of Naruto's boxers. Choji gave a small giggle-like noise, being careful not to let the potato chips in his mouth fall out.

"Shut it!" Naruto growled, embarrassed as he resumed dressing.

"What did Sasuke want?" Choji asked after swallowing.

"He... wants to help me train for the Genin Exam."

"No way," Kiba gasped. "It's got to be a trick, right? I mean this is _Sasuke_ Uchiha! For all we know, he's planning to humiliate you in front of everybody!"

"I know, but... I didn't give him an answer. Not yet anyway."

"So, what're you going to do?" Kiba demanded. Naruto shrugged. "Just remember everything that he's done to us."

"Guys, I'm actually kind of scared of him," Naruto admitted, "but not as much as before. I mean, he's still scary, but he doesn't seem like the evil monster I thought he was. Maybe it was just because his eyes turn red sometimes."

"You make it sound like you want to be his friend now," Choji remarked.

"Not friends, but if he really wants to help me, wouldn't I be stupid to say no?"

"HEY!" Asuma Sarutobi, the gym teacher, bellowed. "EVERYBODY ON THE TRACK! WE'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT!"

* * *

"So, Sasuke," Neji mused, taking a small bite from his apple. "You're really going to use the Uzumaki kid for this? Couldn't we have found somebody else? Somebody a little... smarter?" Neji and Shikamaru looked across the cafeteria to where Naruto sat with his friends, talking jovially.

"He might not be smart, but that's why we can use him," Shikamaru noted. "Stupid minds are all the easier to bend."

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered, barely paying attention. "Whatever."

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Shikamaru inquired. "Not having seconds thoughts, are you?"

"Uh... no... No, I'm not," Sasuke half-lied.

* * *

"Dad... Can I talk to you?" Naruto asked nervously, walking into his father's exercise room. Minato was surprised to see Naruto there in the first place: his exercise time was his version of "Me Time" and his family knew better than anyone that he needed personal time.

"Sure," Minato said cautiously, setting his weight back on its rack. With the towel around his neck, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"What do you do when... you're scared of someone... but you need their help?"

Minato bit his lip before he answered; this was a question that he needed to think on himself. "Why are you scared?"

"I don't know... They just scare me..."

"That's not a good reason, Naruto."

"I know, but... I..."

Naruto found himself unable to find the words. Finally, he gave up and looked at his feet, embarrassed. Minato walked over, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. Before he knew it, he had pulled Naruto close in a reassuring hug, as if hoping to squeeze the fear-and perhaps, by accident, his breath-out of his son's body. After a few seconds, Naruto pulled back and looked into his father's eyes.

"I know you, Naruto. You're a brave boy and I know you can conquer any of your fears."

"But I-"

"If you need help, you know I'm always here for you, right?"

Naruto grinned weakly. "Right."

* * *

"Itachi... Are you scared of anyone... but you don't want to be?"

Itachi looked at his brother with an emotionless mask, hoping to look strong for his brother's sake. "You want to know a secret?" Sasuke nodded. "I'm scared of anybody who is my enemy on missions."

"Really?"

"To fight somebody without fearing their power is foolishness... but you haven't been fighting, so I can only assume that your fear is based on rumor and misconception. Am I wrong?"

"No."

"This person you're scared of... Have you faced them?"

"From time to time."

"The only advice I can offer is to be brave and kind. Try to get close to them. The further away you are, they scarier they'll seem."

"SASUKE! ITACHI! TIME FOR DINNER!" Mikoto called. "HURRY UP!"

"Think about my advice," Itachi said, "and make sure you eat dinner tonight."


End file.
